Skiing on the Edge 34. Above Extract fTOm Leomann Trekking Map of Kashmir 1:200000, a good example of a map u ing ridgeline depiction. (p167) 36. Above left Leaving the plateau on the headwall of Coire an Lochain, Cairngorms. {Martin Burrows-Smith) (p105) 37. Above right Looking down Garadh Gully on Ben Nevis prior to a descent. (Martin Burrows-Smith) (p105) 35. Opposite below Extract from National Geographic Map of Everest 1:50 000, a composite map using Illany different methods of relief depiction to produce a design admjred for both efficient and effective communication of relief information and for its aesthetic qualities. (p167) Making Tracks in Scottish Gullies MARTIN BURROWS-SMITH Chief Instructor at Glenmore Lodge The Scottish National Outdoor Training Centre (Plates 36,37) Midday, mid-week in mid-February, I was resting at the summitofSgurr Mor, a fine peak in the Central Fannaichs of the Northern Highlands. I had been here before with my skis the previous winter, and looking across to the magnificent flanks of Sgurr nan Clach Geala, I recalled an epic descent of Alpha Gully on its E face. That had been an on-sight day, no previous inspection, and wild skiing down the crest of the buttress had led to a tortuous descent of the gully itself, often too tight to turn, but eventually I had been spat out onto its supporting but avalanching apron of snow. The reascent to the plateau had been a good Grade III and required careful negotiation to avoid exposed slopes of windslab. I had continued to Sgurr Mor for a look at Easter Gully on its E face, but had prudently chickened out. On that occasion I had climbed Easter Gully first, checking out the conditions, and continued up the ridge to the summit to psych up for the descent. A final look round at the view: Beinn Dearg to the north, An Teallach to the west, Skye, Torridon, the Ben - they were all there, caked in snow and blue sky; not a breath of wind. I had the whole range to myself. Under conditions like this, ski mountaineering in the Highlands is second to none. Back to reality and on with the skis for the ski down to the start of the gully some 500ft down. It's so important to arrive at and start a difficult descent with legs and muscles loose and mobile - brain, body and balance all geared to skiing in control. So I skied a variety of turns, short and long radius, compressions, steps and hops, working on rhythm, feeling the snow, anticipating what was to come. A huge cornice hung over the final slope of the gully but a snow ridge outflanked most ofit on the left, the cornice relenting to a vertical five-foot step. This was the way in, so I followed my ascent steps to the edge. A thousand feet below, over crag and ridge, was the coire floor - no place to catch an outside edge. However, I felt confident, knowing the snow was creamy and consistent; so without delay I hopped over the lip into a fall-line side-slip and stop, upper ski spread high above the lower, reacting to the steepness, hands flung wide for balance, and body angulating hard over the edged skis. I made a diagonal bouncing side-slip into the centre of the gully, getting used to the snow and the head in order, before launching into the first turn. Edges bite 106 SKIING ON THE EDGE and body and legs react and balance instinctively. Euphoria! The control and form were there. I could relax and enjoy it. What more could one want than to feel good at the start of an exciting descent? Further down, a sustained constriction required tight control, with no movement across the slope after each turn. Then a tricky diagonal through rock steps led to the easier-angled central section. From here the gully dropped straight and steep to the coire, and with increasing confidence this was taken rapidly, linking the turns, making use ofall available snow on the steeper flanks, and relishing the sustained effort until a short step led to more open slopes, the coire and a long, long cruise back to the car. The adjective 'extreme' is applied to many sports. Itis an emotive word, much misused and abused, with a suggestion of elitism, hype and standards that are over-the-top and involve considerable danger. Applied to skiing, it conjures up a picture of death-defying slides down appalling slopes, like the Japanese skier who schussed from the South Colon Everest, with a parachute to slow him down. Reality is, and has been for some time, quite different. The priority clearly must be to stay alive! This requires good preparation, planning and timing; the ability to back off if conditions or the head are not quite right; and also, very important, a reliable, precise but flexible technique allied to a certain nerve and cool, which allow the skier to perform at his technical best when the consequences of a fall are unthinkable. Good conditions are vital. In the Alps the most extreme descents will only be achieved on spring snow on the turn. This snow is reliable, having a firm, consistent base but with just the right amount of melted mush on the surface to make it reasonably forgiving and to provide suitable grip. For the Alpine skier this snow may only appear high up on a few days each year, so it helps to be a local, or at least fortunate, if good conditions are to come your way. This will usually occur any time in Mayor June but, with the right combination of previous snowfall and temperature, these conditions can appear almost any time of the year. It is rare for good conditions in the high mountains to stay for long as, with increasing temperatures, more snow will melt, sloughs will eventually occur, and avalanche runnels and debris appear. Also, the descent may be wrecked by previous ski tracks! In Scotland, as in the Alps, spring snow is the best. With our occasional temperate winter climate this snow can appear at any time in the winter, but it is usually most reliable in March and April. However, if you insist on waiting for spring snow to arrive, you could end up with few opportunities to ski gullies; so technique and skills must be adapted to cope with a wide variety of snows. Windslab is the most frequent snow to appear in Scottish couloirs. Clearly there is a major concern with avalanche risk here, and full knowledge and judgement must be exercised. If considered safe and stable, consolidated windslab can provide excellent consistent snow to ski on. If there is any doubt about the stability of such snow then either leave it alone or, at the very least, keep away from open exposed slopes, particularly convexities and hanging slopes that are unsupported underneath. Once a melt freeze process is initiated, problems will arise. Any sort of MAKING TRACKS IN SCOTTISH GULLIES 107 breakable crust should be avoided - it's so easy to catch an outside edge. Once neve is formed then the skiing can be very demanding and unforgiving technically. The neve should have good surface roughage for grip and with anything less, in particular an icy gloss on the surface, it should be left well alone. The technical skills of steep skiing must be perfected somewhere absolutely safe. Clearly it would be foolish to experiment at the start of a long and serious descent. A consistent, reliable turn must be developed in a variety ofsnows, and adjustments should be natural, instinctive and immediate. A turn on steep terrain is very dynamic, requires total commitment, with no hesitation. At Glenmore Lodge we run courses in couloir and steep-slope skiing. We work initially on slopes with a safe run-out before going anywhere at all serious. Good edge control is vital, developing into short swings (or Wedeln), so that the skier can be totally mobile and above all in control, resisting the pull of gravity with natural edge control, through the ankles, knees and hips to the upper body. The natural steep-slope turn to aim for is actually initiated off the upper ski. A dynamic up motion transfers weight from the lower to the upper ski. As the weight comes off the lower ski, it can naturally turn to face down the slope, thus anticipating the turn that will immediately follow and prevent any blockage of the action. In fact by jumping upwards (rather than outwards) the skier will land less far down the slope, thereby minimising the escalation ofspeed which is the biggest enemy in causing loss of control. A double pole-plant helps to give a more stable initiation to the turn. The landing is an intuitive reaction to the feel of the snow as the skier comes into a running side-slip and stop. Depending on the quality of the snow, the weight is usually mainly on the downhill ski, so that often the turn is started and finished on the same ski. Occasionally, though, the weight may well be shared between the skis and sometimes, particularly with breakable crust, the upper ski may take most of the weight to give some leeway if a downhill edge is caught. There are a few skiers who, whatever their ability, do not get a buzz from skiing on a slope at the limit of their nerve and ability. However, steep skiing was not initially developed as an end in itself - it evolved naturally with the exploration on ski of Alpine passes and summits.